| Tudor Crown | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The crown ina 1629 portrait of Charles I | |
| Heraldic depictions | |
.svg) | |
| Details | |
| Country | Kingdom of England |
| Made | No later than 1521 |
| Destroyed | 1649 |
| Weight | 90 ozt (2.8 kg)[a][1] |
| Arches | 2–4 |
| Material | Gold |
| Cap | Purple silk velvet lined with black silk satin and no fur[2] |
| Notable stones | 344 jewels, gems and pearls[2] |
| Successors | State Crown of Charles II |
TheTudor Crown was a crown created in the early 16th century for eitherHenry VII orHenry VIII, the firstTudor monarchs ofEngland, and destroyed in 1649 during theEnglish Civil War. It was described by the art historian SirRoy Strong as 'a masterpiece of early Tudor jeweller's art'.[3]
A representation of the Tudor Crown is a widely used symbol in theheraldry of theUnited Kingdom. In use officially from 1901 to 1952 and again from 2022, it is used to represent 'the Crown' as thesovereign source of governmental authority. As such, it appears on numerous official emblems in the United Kingdom, the formerBritish Empire, and theCommonwealth realms.[4][5]
Its date of manufacture is unknown, but Henry VII or his son and successor Henry VIII probably commissioned the crown, first documented in writing in a 1521 inventory of Henry VIII's jewels, naming the crown as 'the king's crown of gold'.[6] The crown was mentioned again in 1532,1547, 1550,1574, 1597 and 1606, also featuring in portraits of Charles I.[7]
Henry V is the first English monarch to be depicted in heraldry wearing animperial crown, and the first to be referred to as an emperor in his kingdom.[8] An imperial crown appeared on the great seal of England after 1471 and on the coinage of Henry VII from 1489.[8]Cuthbert Tunstall wrote to Henry VIII in 1517, '...the Crown of England is an Empire of itself...for which cause your Grace weareth aclosed crown.'[8][9]
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The crown is first described in an inventory made of Henry VIII's jewels in 1521:[6]
'Furste the kingis crowne of golde the Bordour garnisshed with Six Balacys[b] ffyve Saphures fyve pointed Diamoundys twanty Rubyes xix pearlys and iiij Collettis[c] the Balacys with the king And one of the crosses of the same Crowne garnisshed wt a greate Saphure an Emade Crased[d] iiij Balacys and ix pearlis not all of a sorte Item on the lefte side of the same Crosse a fflourre de luce set wt An ymage of Cryste with A greate Balace Brooken A less Balace A poynted dyamounde...
'Henry Rex[e]
'two pearlis and the Collet where a fayre Balace stode and A crampon[f] where the pearle stode. the Balace and the pearle wt the king and next that a nother Crosse wt a course saphure iiij course balacys a fayre litle Emerade A lozenged Diamonde like a harte a ruby viij plis and a crampon where the pearle stode the pearle wt the king, and next that another ffloure de luce sett wt a saunte George a fayre balace a poynted Diamounde and thre plis A collett where a Balace stode The Balace with the king in oon leaf And of the other leaf both collett and Balace with the king and next that Another Crosse wt a large Eounde Saphure iiij Balacys iiij plys and a Collett the emerade wt the king and v crampons the pearlis wt the king and next that An other flour de luce set with our ladyes ymage and hir childe A Balace A poynted Diamonde thre pearlis and two Collettis The Balace wt the king and next that A nother Crosse set wt two Saphures iiij balacys viij pearlis and a crampon where the pearle stode, The pearle wt the king And nexte that An other flour de luce set wt an ymage of Cryste A Balace A poynted Diamonde thre pearlis and ij colletis The balace wt the king and next that An other Crosse set wt a course Saphure iiij balacys ix pearlis And a Collett The Emerade wt the king And next that an other flower Deluce sett wt an ymage of Criste wt a Balace a smalle poynted Diamounde thre pearlis and two Collettys the Balace wt the king Item oon the Diademe above twelf poynted diamoundys some better then the other thre Tryangled diamoundys oon table diamounde and xxviij pearlis two in A troche[g] poysaunt to gidders...'
It took the form of a closed crown, originally with two arches, with fivecrosses pattée alternating with fivefleurs-de-lis. It was decorated with 344 jewels, gems and pearls, including 21 sapphires, 2 emeralds, 27 diamonds and 233 pearls of different sizes.[2][10] The 1521 inventory states that many of these jewels were held by Henry and not permanently kept in the crown.[11]
In the centre petals of the fleurs-de-lis were gold and enamel figurines of the Virgin Mary,St George and three images of Christ. Comparing the 1521 and 1547 inventories, it is evident that the crown was repaired and altered during this period.[11] Following theEnglish Reformation, and in order to express the religious authority of the monarchy, the three figures of Christ were removed and replaced by three Kings of England:St Edmund,St Edward the Confessor andHenry VI, who at that time was also venerated as a saint.[2] The cap within the crown was of purple silk velvet and lined with black silk satin, with no fur on the cap, as noted in the1547 inventory.[2]
Henry VIII wore the crown duringcourt ceremonies, in particular at Christmas when Henry would process to chapel in his coronation regalia.[2] The crown was used in both thecoronation of Edward VI in 1547, thecoronation of Mary I in 1553 and thecoronation of Elizabeth I in 1559.[11] Both Edward VI and Mary I were crowned with three crowns in succession: first St Edward's Crown, second the Tudor Crown (termed the 'Imperiall crowne' in contemporary accounts) and finally in 'very rich' crowns made specifically for each of their coronations. Three crowns were also present at the coronation of Elizabeth I, and she was probably crowned in the same fashion as her predecessors.[11] James I was crowned with only the Tudor Crown, rather than three crowns successively, before wearingthe crown made specially for him at the end of the service.[11] The crown continued in use up to the English Civil War and features in many portraits of Charles I.[12][2]
Following the abolition of the monarchy and theexecution of Charles I in 1649, the Tudor Crown was broken up by order of parliament.[13] The gold frame was melted down and turned into coins while the jewels were sold off in packets,[2] raising £1,100.[14] According to an inventory drawn up for the sale of the king's goods, it weighed 7 lb 6 oz troy (2.8 kg).[1] The only image noted in the 1649 parliamentary records from the breaking up of the crown is that of the Virgin Mary.[13] The images of the three kings, though noted in James I's records of 1606,[7] are not mentioned in parliament's 1649 records.[13]
One of the royal figurines may have survived: a statuette of Henry VI matching the contemporary depiction of the crown was uncovered in 2017 by metal detectorist Kevin Duckett. The location, 'atGreat Oxendon...betweenNaseby andMarket Harborough',[15] was on the route taken byCharles I of England as he fled after theBattle of Naseby and may have been lost at that time. The figurine was likely featured on Henry VIII's crown according to some sources.[16] As of February 2021, the figure was being held at theBritish Museum for assessment and further research. According to historian and Charles I biographer Leanda de Lisle, 'the crown was melted down on the orders ofOliver Cromwell but it is believed the figurine – which was one of several adorning the royal treasure – could already have been removed'.[17][18][19]
In 2012,Historic Royal Palaces used the historic written inventories of the royal jewels along with portrait paintings featuring the crown to commission a replica.[2] It was made by retiredCrown Jeweller,Harry Collins, using 344 pearls and gemstones and employing authentic Tudor metalworking techniques.[2] Other examples of 16th century goldsmith work were used to inform the fine details, particularly theCrown of Scotland.[2] It is exhibited as part of an exhibition within the Chapel Royal atHampton Court Palace.[20]
The replica is made of solid silver with a hard gold plating andgilded with a fine gold finish in order to recreate how the crown would have appeared in gold.[2]
The heraldic depictions of the royal crown have undergone many changes in their form and enrichment. The crown began to assume its present form in the reign ofHenry V.[21] Henry V's crown consisted of a jewelledcirclet heightened by fourcrosses pattée alternating with eightfleurs-de-lis in pairs, and two arches springing from behind the crosses and supporting at the top amound andcross.[21] In some reigns, additional arches were used, and the number of crosses pattée and fleurs-de-lis varied. By the reign of Charles I, the heraldic crown was depicted similarly to the Tudor Crown (made either for Henry VII or Henry VIII) which had four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, and also four arches rising almost to a point, the arches being studded with pearls. This crown was destroyed during the English Civil War.[21]
After therestoration of the monarchy,Charles II based bothhis state crown and heraldic crown on the newSt Edward's Crown of 1661.[h] It had four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis; the number of arches was reduced to two and the curvature of the arches was depressed at the point of intersection. On this pattern the royal crown was depicted until the reign ofQueen Victoria.[21] AlthoughFox-Davies states that theSt Edward's Crown is supposed to be heraldically represented over theRoyal Arms and other insignia because 'it is the "official" crown of England',[4] various other crowns were depicted under Victoria, whose coronation, unusually, did not feature the St Edward's Crown at all.[22]Early depictions of the Royal Arms during her reign featured the Imperial State Crown which wascreated for Victoria's coronation in 1838 and was similar to the St Edward's Crown but with a flatter top.[21][23] However, depictions varied depending on the artist.[4]
In 1876, Victoria was proclaimedEmpress of India, and in 1880, the heraldic crown was altered to give it a more imperial form by making the arches semi-circular.[21][24] However, Victoria had favoured a Tudor style crown since at least the 1860s.[25][26] Victoria had featured inWilliam Wyon's gothic crown coin in 1847,[27] and thePalace of Westminster, rebuilt from 1840 to 1876, makes extensive use of a gothic style crown. The British had assumeddirect rule over India in 1858, and theOrder of the Star of India, created in 1861, depicted a Tudor Crown from its inception.[28] Victoria had anew crown made in 1870 which resembled the Tudor Crown,[29] declining to wear the Imperial State Crown which she found heavy and uncomfortable.[4]
After the accession ofEdward VII, theWar Office raised the issue of a standardised design of the crown for use by theBritish Army, there being in use several crowns of different patterns.[5] On 4 May 1901, the king approved a single Tudor Crown design based on thecrown of Henry VII, as 'chosen and always used by Queen Victoria personally'.[4][5] The design of the crown and the new royal cypher was issued as a sealed pattern by the War Office rather than by theCollege of Arms.[5] The 1901 pattern crown depicted a thinermine lining below a golden circlet holding a crimsoncap; the circlet jewelled with anoblong shapedruby in the centre between two ovalemeralds and two oblongsapphires on the outside. Each jewel is separated by two small vertically arranged pearls. Above the jewels, aninvected line and a band supporting two fleurs-de-lis between three crosses pattée, each cross studded with a pearl in the centre. There are nine larger pearls on each of the outerhalf-arches and five pearls on the central half-arch. The outer arches rise in a semi-circle, with no depression or flattening, to support a mound, while the central half-arch widens as it rises, appearing to sit slightly above the outer arch. The mound is an emerald banded in gold topped with a small golden cross which is centrally studded with a small pearl.[32][33][34] Thecoronet of the Prince of Wales created for the1902 coronation[35] was heraldically represented similarly to the 1901 pattern crown, minus the central half-arch.[33]
George VI had ceased to use the style 'Emperor of India' in 1948 following India's independence in 1947,[36] and on the accession ofElizabeth II in 1952, she opted to change from the 1901 Tudor Crown to a design resembling St Edward's Crown, similar to that last used before the reign of Victoria.[21][37]
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Charles III adopted the Tudor Crown on his accession in 2022, similar to that last used under George VI but with some differences.[30][31] The circlet is plain with larger jewels, crosses and ermine. In addition to being larger, the jewels in the circlet are arranged differently to the 1901 pattern and in different shapes. In the centre is a sapphire between two emeralds, and the outermost jewels are rubies, mirroring the heraldic St Edward's Crown of Elizabeth II.[30][38] The sapphire and rubies are in arhombus shape rather than oblong, while the emeralds are oval in shape.[30] Unlike the 1901 Tudor Crown, the mound is solid gold rather than emerald banded in gold.[38] The cap of the heraldic crowns is always represented as crimson, regardless of the colour of any actual crowns.[4]
Unlike the strict uniformity enforced with the introduction of the 1901 crown design,[5] a variety of different crown designs have been brought into service since 2022, mirroring the proliferation of designs under Queen Victoria.[4] The 2023 design for use on police badges in the UK was a faithful reproduction of the crown selected by the King for the royal cypher but in a silver colour to match that of theBrunswick star.[31] However, the designs announced for badges of the British armed forces in March 2023 in time forthe coronation in May differed from the design selected by the King for his royal cypher. TheRoyal Navy andRoyal Marines cap badges have a more detailed circlet which includes five pearls between each jewel, and also a more depressed arch, thus matching the footprint of the former St Edward's Crown design.[39] The crown announced for use onBritish Army cap badges was initially the same as that of the Royal Navy[40] but was quickly revised after the announcement to include only two pearls between each jewel on the circlet.[41] The crown used by theRAF also displays two pearls between each jewel but has a more semi-circular arch in the same shape as that used in the 1901 and 2022 cyphers. Unusually compared to other heraldic designs which 'scrupulously adhered' to the display of only half fleur-de-lis,[4] the crown used by the RAF also displays the base.[42] In Canada,a specifically Canadian design was unveiled which takes inspiration from the Tudor Crown but differs significantly in detailing and has been controversial.[43][44] Furthermore, the former St Edward's Crown design remains in use in many of theCommonwealth realms and has not been updated. TheFinancial Times reported in June 2024 that the rollout of the new British Army cap badges had been delayed by fears that badges manufactured in China may contain tracking devices or transmitters.[45]
Use of the crowns for commercial purposes is specifically restricted in the UK (and in countries which are party to theParis Convention) under sections 4 and 99 of theTrade Marks Act 1994, and their use is governed by theLord Chamberlain's Office.[46][47][48] It is also an offence under Section 12 of theTrade Descriptions Act 1968 to give a false indication that any goods or services are supplied to the monarch or any member of the royal family.[49][48]
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![Charles II depicted with the Tudor Crown, painted after its destruction, c. 1670[50]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPortrait_of_Charles_II_of_England_(Peter_Lely).jpg)
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TheHeraldic Crown which enjoys the Royal favour, differs from both No. 562, and the State Crown, No. 624, and inclines to the type of an earlier time ; this Heraldic Crown of our Most Gracious Sovereign is represented in No. 334, page 332, ensigning the Royal Shield of Arms.
Media related toTudor Crown at Wikimedia Commons
Royal heraldry in the United Kingdom | ||
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| United Kingdom | .svg) | |
| England | ||
| Scotland | ||
| Wales | ||
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